This invention relates to an exercising instrument useful in preparing the hand and fingers for strenuous, tedious or everyday use. In construction and capability the device also lends itself instrumental to the field of physical therapy to rehabilitate damaged muscles or tendons in the hand or fingers. The device of this invention would be advantageous to many different professions including baseball pitchers, computer users, skilled manual artists, therapists, musicians or any persons that would benefit from having stronger and more flexible hands and fingers. All users from beginner to advanced would equally gain from this machine. When applied consistently along with normal activities maximum results will be achieved faster and easier.
The primary object of the invention is to provide a device to be used in a manner as to manipulate the skin, knuckle joints, tendons and muscles of the hand and fingers. This allows the maintenance of an unnaturally extended position in which said hand and fingers are forcibly stretched beyond normal and natural limits in order to extend said limits. Over time the user will gradually increase lateral reach, improve agility and develop independence between fingers. It is intended to be broadly constructed and the design in general is subordinate to the net effect of the device herein described as a hand exerciser.
Prior patents have introduced numerous advantageous machines in the field of therapeutics and rehabilitation to enhance overall strength within the hand, or as an aid in cases of damaged tendons and their related muscles. Despite the numerous positive applications of such devices they have been restricted to either extremely complex and impractical systems or limited efficiency. Some previous machines designed to benefit hand development and digital dexterity requires time to apply and adjust the device such as U.S. Pat. No. 806,861 of Kursheedt, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,174,205 of Underwood, while others need a secondary item such as a guitar or keyboard to properly use. Columbo U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,314 is an example. What is clearly lacking in the above-described prior art is an easy to use appliance to prepare the hand and fingers for exertion. Such a device should stretch the muscles in the fingers and hand and, at the same time, increase muscular strength by repeated use. The design should also be lightweight, compact and yield the option to use at any time and place.